Hypericum plant named ‘Verocla’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Verocla’, characterized by its upright plant habit; durable dark green-colored leaves; bright light green-colored fruits; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Hypericum androsaemum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Verocla’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHypericum plant, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum,commercially used as cut stems with fruits, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Verocla’.

The new Hypericum is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop cut Hypericum varieties with attractivefruit coloration.

The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in January, 2000 of a proprietary selection of Hypericumidentified as code number A20345, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with a proprietary selection of Hypericum identified as codenumber 121346, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Verocla was discovered and selected by the Inventor during thesummer of 2001 as a flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled environment in Wieringerwerf, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum by terminal cuttings atWieringerwerf, The Netherlands since September, 2001, has shown that theunique features of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Verocla’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Verocla’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Durable dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Bright light green-colored fruits.    -   4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have longer flowering stems than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum have smaller fruits than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of new Hypericum and the female parent selection        differ in fruit coloration as plants of the female parent        selection have brown-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have longer flowering stems than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum have more durable leaves than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum have fewer flowers per        inflorescence than plants of the male parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Hypericum and the male parent selection        differ in fruit coloration as plants of the male parent        selection have red-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericumcultivar Excellent Flair, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hypericumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum had shorter, darker green and        more durable leaves than plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.    -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller flowers than plants        of the cultivar Excellent Flair.    -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum had thicker and stronger        flowering stems than plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.    -   4. Fruits of plants of the new Hypericum were bright light green        in color whereas fruits of plants of the cultivar Excellent        Flair were brownish red in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Hypericum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Hypericum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering stem of ‘Verocla’ with developed fruit.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical fruits of ‘Verocla’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Verocla’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Hypericum has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Tabacundo, Ecuador, in an outdoor nursery andunder commercial production practices. Plants used for the photographsand the description were about one year old. The photographs anddescription were taken in March with day temperatures averaging 17° C.,night temperatures averaging 10° C. and light levels ranging from 800 to1,100 watts per square meter. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Verocla.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum            androsaemum identified as code number A20345, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum            identified as code number 121346, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 30 days at            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 40 days at            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; brown, 165B overlain with            200A, in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading            perennial woody shrub.        -   Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching;            dense and bushy growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 70 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm.        -   Quantity of stems per year.—About eight.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About            2.3 mm. Internode length: About 4.2 cm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color: 145D.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple; sessile.            Length: About 6.3 cm. Width: About 5.1 cm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Slightly retuse. Base: Obtuse to slightly cordate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous;            rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves,            upper surface: 144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: 147D.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than 147A;            venation, 145B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147C;            venation, 145C. Stipule length: About 6 mm. Stipule            diameter: About 3 mm. Stipule texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 144A.            Color, lower surface: 147D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Bright yellow single flowers arranged            in terminal compound umbels with about twelve flowers per            umbel. Flowers not fragrant. Flowers persistent. Flowers            face upright to outwardly.        -   Natural flowering season.—Summer, typically June to            September in The Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Cut flower are typically harvested            when all flowers have developed fruits. Postproduction            longevity of cut stems with fruits is about two weeks.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 7.6 mm. Diameter: About 7.6 mm.            Shape: Rounded oblong. Color: 10B; towards the apex, 12A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.6 cm. Depth: About 1.3 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five. Length: About 1.2 cm.            Width: About 9.7 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse,            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Concave.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color:            Developing and fully expanded petals, upper surface: 12A.            Developing and fully expanded petals, lower surface: 12B to            12C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five. Length: About 9 mm.            Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex: Obtuse to            rounded. Base: Broadly attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper surface: Smooth; glabrous. Texture, lower surface:            Slightly rugose; glabrous. Color: Developing sepals, upper            surface: 144A. Developing sepals, lower surface: 145D. Fully            expanded sepals, upper surface: 137B; towards the base,            144C. Fully expanded sepals, lower surface: 193B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Orientation: Erect to about 45° from vertical. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.            Orientation: Erect to about 45° from vertical. Strength:            Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; slightly            grooved. Color: 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:            About 110. Anther shape: Broadly ovate. Anther length: About            0.8 mm. Anther color: 17C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen            color: 21A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Three. Pistil            length: About 1.2 cm. Stigma shape: Globular. Stigma color:            46A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: 154B. Ovary            color: 154B.        -   Fruits.—Quantity per flower: One. Days to ripening:            About 25. Type: Capsule. Shape: Roughly spherical. Length:            About 1 cm. Diameter. About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth; glabrous.            Color: 144C.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: More than 100. Length: About            1.3 mm. Diameter: About 0.6 mm. Texture: Smooth; glabrous.            Color: 200B.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been    observed to be resistant to Rust. Plants of the new Hypericum have    not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens    common to Hypericum.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from −15 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named ‘Verocla’, asillustrated and described.